If the motorcycle at wide variety 10 is that this fast, you know what to expect from the relaxation. BMW designed this bike to be mild weight and agile, as a result making it extremely easy to address. The electricity residence of this bike, i.e. its engine is an 1157 CC 4 cylindered inline with an inbuilt transmission. The engine is established diagonally and this guarantees a low middle of gravity. This bike can cross from zero to sixty in only 3.2 seconds. The breaks on this motorcycle are very effective. Its EVO brakes coupled with the partly incorporated BMW Motorrad essential ABS is what offers it its greatness. The motorcycle achieves a max power of 164 HP at 10250 RPM and max torque of 129 Nm at 8250 RPM.
It is rare air up within the hyper-tourer stratosphere. you have got the Suzuki Hayabusa, the Kawasaki ZX-12R, the discontinued-stateside Blackbird, and now, the BMW K1200S has joined the fray. never recognized for velocity and acceleration, the okay collection is though my favorite line of Beemers, and the most effective one that stocks clean stylistic points of reference with their brawny yet costly cars. The most effective aspect lacking, in my mind, has been the va-va-va-voom aspect, and at long final, BMW has delivered the goods in that department.
first of all, gazing the motorcycles coated up in front of our resort, i used to be disappointed to find that the black-and-yellow photo scheme went unrepresented amidst the indigo blue and granite gray testers. Frankly, the plain wrapper versions provide reasonably-priced-searching paint that lacks the richness (blue) or sparkle (grey) to do this motorbike justice; while the racy bumblebee design does an eye fixed-popping activity of accenting the motorcycle's aggressive lines.
climbing aboard, the wasp-waisted shape of the motorbike's seat decreased the "straddle effect" while standing, and allowed me to pinch in with my legs for stability in aggressive turns, thereby relaxing my arms for smoother steering inputs. The seat itself is thin however made from very resilient foam that proved to be a long way greater at ease than it appeared. ordinary, the ergoes proved properly conceived for each cornering and distance work.
the beginning of that distance consisted of a twisty climb and descent thru Mount Tamalpais in Sausalito, California. Having shaved 26 percent off of the dry weight of the K1200RS, and with a brand new Duolever the front suspension that lowers its center of gravity, the K1200S is without problems the high-quality dealing with motorcycle BMW has ever produced. The suspension sneered at the severa rain-crammed potholes I encountered, and become a long way more inclined to tip into hairpins than i'd have predicted for a motorbike of its longitude.
one of the "ought to get" alternatives available for the K1200S is the $ 750 digital Suspension Adjustment (ESA). This system permits you to calibrate the front rebound damping, in addition to rear preload, compression, and rebound damping using a simple grid. Configure the weight for single rider, rider with passenger, or rider with passenger and bags (to be had as an option) whilst parked, and then revel in on-the-fly changes among sport, regular, and comfort modes. the verdict on ESA appeared unanimous a few of the testers: a brilliant concept, and well well worth the value.
Later that night, at our posh dinner destination, the relative merits of the in part included ABS system have been a much more hotly debated subject matter, especially through the ex-racers on the desk. even as ABS comes popular, the K1200S may be ordered with out it for a $ 995 reduction in price. For mere mortals like me, but, the system supplied a welcome coverage coverage, mainly in the moist weather I encountered. As for the brake lever sense of the servo-assist, it does take a few getting used to, however the pinchers maximum sincerely did their process whilst asked.
as soon as clear of the mountain, the scenic sweepers of the Pacific Coast highway supplied a stunning backdrop for a check of the Beemer's real candy spot, excessive-pace curves. With the stableness of its period, the strength-assisted experience of its steerage enter, and newly observed mid-range gusto of its engine, the K1200S became actually in its glory snaking along the coastline of Tomales Bay.
That having been stated, it isn't till you have enough uninhabited actual property in advance of you to punch thru the gears with bad purpose that you could completely recognize the vein-popping strength of the F-1 stimulated 1,156cc throughout-the-frame inline-4. From a regular throughway pace, dropping the K1200S down into 2nd and juicing thru the gears had me disappearing into the horizon so speedy that the nearby police branch ought to have been deluged with alien craft sightings. Winding the revs past 8000 rpm in 6th gear, the stallion virtually hit its stride, accelerating effects as though powered through plutonium right into a warp power wherein everything just smeared and the sound of air being break up roared like a jet setting out. overlook ABS, the K1200S must come stock with a case of depends, and that i suggest that as the highest form of reward.
So wherein does this huge, bad Beemer in shape in the scheme of things? Heavier (499 lbs dry), longer (62" wheelbase), and 50 percentage greater high priced ($ 16,745 as tested) than both the Busa (478 lbs, 58.5" $ 10,999) or ZX-12R (463 lbs fifty seven.1", $ 10,999) the K1200S makes up floor within the two-wheeled palms race by imparting advanced features and alternatives inside the areas of safety (ABS), reliability (shaft power), overall performance (ESA), and luxury (heated grips). James Bond would really like this motorbike, as could each person who has been partial to the K1200RS or GT models but felt that they lacked a positive je ne sais quoi-ya-hoooo!
nicely carried out Motorrad meisters. It took you long enough to make it "perfect," as you're so keen on proclaiming, but the K1200S has been well really worth the wait.
Serial Items:
- Distributor: BMW Motorrad USA
- Engine: Four-stroke inline four, DOHC, 16-valve
- Displacement: 1157cc
- Bore x Stroke: 79x59mm
- Carburetion fuel injection
- Power: 167hp
- Cooling liquid
- Ignition: electronic
- Transmission six-speed
- Frame: aluminum
- Front Suspension: double longitudinallink, 4.5in travel
- Rear Suspension: EVO-Paralever, 5.3in travel
- Rake/Trail 29.4° / 4.4in (111.76mm)
- Brakes front/rear: twin four piston calipers, 320mm discs single twin piston, 265mm disc
- Tires front/rear: 120/70ZR x 17,190/50ZR x 17
- Dry Weight: 515lb (234kg)
- Wheelbase: 61.9in (1572mm)
- Seat height: 32in (813mm)
- Fuel Capacity: 5.0 gal (19l)
- Fuel Consumption: n/a
- Colors granite gray metallic, indigo blue metallic, indigo blue metallic/alpine white, sun yellow/white metallic/graphite metallic
- MSRP: $ 15,750